Forklifts or lifts trucks as some prefer to call it are very useful to most businesses. However, many accidents, injuries and even fatalities involved the reliable forklift. A moving forklift can pose serious risks, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do anything about preventing such incidents from happening.
Installing Safety Cages
We use forklifts in lifting and transferring tools and materials from one place to another. One can also use it to transport people and their devices and lifting them up to manually work on higher areas.
By having a forklift safety cage installed, your mind will be at peace knowing your workers are safe while performing their jobs at higher or elevated levels. It is essential to read the guidelines and abide by rules when using and installing your forklift safety cage in Australia.
There are other ways of keeping a safer warehouse for you and your employees, like the following:
Only allow trained personnel to operate forklifts.
Keep in mind that forklifts should be driven by qualified individuals only. There is a reason why a license is mandatory to safely operate forklifts in Australia. They are educated and properly trained to control the machine. Training and assessment should be continuous, and the wellbeing and mental health of drivers should be monitored.
Observe and wear appropriate safety work gear.
All employees and personnel must wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). This may consist of a hard hat, high-visibility jackets and safety boots. All work gear should not be ill-fitted. It should allow employees to move freely but should not be loose enough to get caught on any machinery.
Forklift drivers and all employees should be mindful of their surroundings.
Aside from controlling the forklift and following the rules and safety guidelines of your workplace, drivers should always be aware of their surroundings. Only drive forklifts in designated roadways, signals are to be used, and all other employees should keep a keen eye.
Always drive within the speed limit.
Yes, speeding in forklifts are quite common and have led to many accidents in the past. It is always advisable to operate only within the speed limits, and not make abrupt changes in direction.
Never overload and make sure to distribute load evenly.
There is a significant risk of loads toppling over if not distributed evenly. Make sure the weight is equally spread out on both forks and to never use the forklift if there is damage. Knowing the capacity is important when operating the forklift.
Do routine checks and make sure the forklift is adequately maintained.
Before and after every use, a license forklift driver should check the machine for any damage and see if everything is all set like the brakes, controls and warning devices.
There are lots of other ways that can ensure the safety of employees in warehouses.
Although accidents can happen, prevention is still the best way to keep the integrity and welfare of all personnel. Never take security for granted and do what you can to avoid incidents from harming you and your employees.
For more information on forklift safety cages and other ways to keep a safer warehouse contact MLA on 1300 000 652 or www.oemmlaholdings.com. Information for this article was sourced from www.imagebollards.com.au
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